Wedded: Colby Previti and John Celmer

Colby and John share an embrace at their reception at Top of the Bay at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Colby and John share an embrace at their reception at Top of the Bay at Aberdeen Proving Ground. (Chad Heller Photography)

L'Oreal Thompson, Baltimore Sun Media Group

Wedding day: Dec. 1, 2012

Her story: Colby Previti, 26, grew up in Bowleys Quarters. She is a makeup artist. Her mom, Kim, is a hair stylist, and her father, Vincent, is retired from the Baltimore City Fire Department.

His story: John Celmer, 26, grew up in Dundalk. He is a pharmaceutical sales representative. His mother, Linda, is deceased, and his father, Robert, is retired from Bethlehem Steel.

Their story: Colby and John met at The Horse You Came in On Saloon in Fells Point six years ago. John proposed on Christmas morning last year with a 4-carat flower-cut ring from Reeds Jewelers.

"When I woke up, I saw our dog on the bed with a ring on the collar," says Colby.

The place: Colby and John said "I do" in front of about 230 guests at St. Patrick's Church in Havre de Grace.

"It's a small church, but it's very pretty," says Colby.

The reception was held at Top of the Bay at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Her dress: Colby wore a fitted mermaid-style dress by Simone Carvalli made of silk taffeta with a ruffled halter-top from Chevy Chase Bridal in Washington.

For shoes, the avid "Sex and the City" fan wore replicas of Carrie Bradshaw's famous blue Manolo Blahniks.

"They had little 'I do' rhinestones on the bottoms," she says. "I wanted to incorporate 'Sex and the City' somehow, and they were my 'something blue.' "

Instead of a traditional floral bouquet, Colby opted for one made of broaches representing her favorite things, such as a musical note signifying her love of singing, her and John's initials, and a snowflake. It was designed by The Veiled Lady on Etsy.

Bridesmaids' dresses: Colby's eight bridesmaids wore their own black gowns with various embellishments around the neckline.

Men's apparel: The men wore black tuxedos with white vests from Tuxedo House in Towson. John, however, wore a purple vest to match the colors of the wedding.

Music: Don and Sue Fowler of Dance Masters Entertainment kept the crowd grooving all night long. They also provided special purple lighting at the bride's request.

"Purple is my favorite color," Colby says. "I wanted a wintry feel, but I didn't want blue; I wanted purple and they were awesome."

For the couple's first dance, Colby serenaded John with her rendition of Chantal Kreviazuk's version of "Feels Like Home," the Randy Newman ballad.

"I actually went into a recording studio and recorded it," she says. "Our guests really liked it, and it added a personal touch."

Special touches: The couple rented a photo booth through Charm City Photo Booths complete with props.

"That was a lot of fun," says Colby. "Our guests loved the different props and received copies of the pictures that night."

Additionally, Colby and John served a signature purple cocktail called Zsa Zsa, after their Chihuahua.

For the dad-daughter dance, Colby and her father began with a slow dance to "Daddy's Little Girl" and then went to the fast-paced "Everybody Dance Now."

Favors: In lieu of traditional favors, the couple made donations to the American Lung Association in honor of John's mother, who died of lung cancer.

RSVP: Just wedded? Or planning your nuptials? Tell us about it. Email your wedding details and contact information to weddings@baltsun.com

More wedding info: For more coverage of bridal trends and wedding-planning adventures, go to baltimoresun.com/weddings.